Ocean. In this sort of enclosure arises an elevated cone, from whence are emitted numerous jets of sul-
phurous acid, and from whence escapes, accompanied by a uel noise, a watery vapour. in some of these
breathing-holes the sulphur is condensed into crystals 5 and in many places the enomnd IS Covered with
pulverized pumice or black cinders, which renders one fearful of approaching them. The earth presents
crevices the depth of which the eye dares scarcely measure, and some of which must be at least 200 metres
deep; they gather the rain and snow-waters, and become the beds of rivulets which flow westward. These
ravines or guebrados, as the Indians call them, frequently obliged us to make lengthy detours, and to waste
a considerable amount of time. The sides of those of moderate depth were carpeted with verdure and
ornamented with various shrubs. Here it was that I had the pleasure of discovering the TZrochilus Stanleyi,
a lovely species, which rifles flowers of the Chuquiraga insignis, a plant so named by the illustrious Humboldt,
of which it appears to be an ardent lover conjointly with 7. pichincha, with which species it is continually
at war.

“T found that it would require a week completely to explore these wilds; but how were we to
carry the necessary provisions ? and how could I hope for fine weather at such an elevation for an
entire week ? On the present occasion I had been favoured in this latter respect beyond my hopes ; to a
magnificent day succeeded a beautiful night, during which the moon, at its full, lent a fairy charm to the
scene, Wrapped in our ponchos, a kind of cloak of the country, we awaited the return of day ; recli-
ning upon stones and sheltered by a rock, in spite of the inconvenience of the position, we enjoyed the
pleasures of a deep sleep upon this menacing soil, which in a moment of caprice might launch us into
eternity. The next day unexpected troubles attended us; in order to regain the rocks which formed the
barrier to the enclosure, we were obliged to pick our way along a sandy soil, in which we sank up to our
knees; and in order to creep along this quicksand, which continually yielded to our feet, we had to support
ourselves by rocks, which as frequently broke away beneath our fingers, Arriving at last, after many long
and weary hours, on the highest elevation of this impracticable ground, we found ourselves in the Paramos
mountains, used for the pasturage of cattle. Here the winds blew at once with such violence, and a blast
so keen, that I twice essayed to continue my route before I could muster courage so to do. We now took
again to our horses, with which we soon gained the woody slopes, clothed with various species of Datura,
and the rich plains which lead to the city. On re-entering Quito, all my troubles were forgotten, while
the pleasure of having made a new discovery remained impressed upon my memory, coupled with a vivid
recollection of the interesting scene in which it had occurred.”

Head, sides, and back of the neck and wing-coverts greenish bronze ; back and rump deep violet blue;
wings purplish brown; upper tail-coverts and tail dark bluish green; down the centre of the throat is a
series of scale-like feathers, broad at the chin and gradually tapering to a point on the breast, the upper
part of which is of a brilliant metallic emerald green, which passes into the amethystine blue, tinged on the
margins with red of the lower portion ; under surface dark sooty-brown washed on the flanks with bronze :

under tail-coverts of a greyish white, with a streak of steel-blue down the centre of each feather; bill and
feet black.

The female differs in having no trace of the brilliant gorget.
The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size on the Stphocampylus giganteus.